Arumugham Mahendran

Arumugham Mahendran

Chairman and Managing Director, Global Consumer Products

A Mahendran is an Indian entrepreneur and the Chairman and Managing Director of Global Consumer Products Private Limited, a ‘‘'synthetic startup’’' in the consumer goods sector. He is the former Managing Director of Godrej Consumer Products Limited.

Mahendran began his career as a partner with Chartered Accountancy firm RNG Price & Associates in 1980. In 1987, he partnered with R Mohan in Transelektra Domestic Products Limited to launch a brand of household insecticide called GoodKnight and Hit in India. He drove the business from a start-up to a Rs. 500 million brand in sales in a short span of seven years after which he sold the business to the Godrej Group in 1994 for Rs. 1 Billion.

Mahendran then became the Managing Director of Godrej Hicare Limited. Within a year he sold a 51% stake in Godrej Hicare Limited to the Sara Lee Corporation, USA, valuing the company at Rs. 3.8 Billion. In 2010, he acquired Sara Lee’s 51% for the Godrej Group and integrated the business with Godrej Consumer Products Limited. As Managing Director, Mahendran steered the merger and acquisition cell at Godrej Consumer Products Limited. Over a period of 3 years from 2010 to 2013, he also spearheaded Godrej Group’s inorganic growth around the globe through merger & acquisition. Some of the acquisitions concluded were Tura brands (Nigeria), Megasari (Indonesia), Issue Group (Argentina) and Darling Group (South Africa).

In 1996, Mahendran promoted a beverage company, GoodLife Industries Limited, focusing on South India and producing beverages under the brand name CheriO. This brand was subsequently bought by Global Consumer Products Private Limited.

In 2014, Mahendran created a synthetic start up, ‘’Global Consumer Products Private Limited’’ in the FMCG space. This joint venture along with private equity players Goldman Sachs (US) and Mitsui & Co. (Japan) was started on 1 February 2014. Mahendran is the promoter, shareholder, Chairman and Managing Director. The company has set up two offices (Bangalore and Mumbai) and developed and launched the chocolate brand, LuvIt, in the southern states of India.